At the Akabeko
by gwkitty
Summary: The place her blind dates are held. The place where he works. AU. Chapter Three.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Ahhhh! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a long long long time. And it's not even the right story. Please forgive me!!! But this just came to me and I felt the need to post it. I do hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and this has a lot of dialogue. Hope you don't mind.

Standard Disclaimer Applies.

At the Akabeko

The phone began to ring just as she had stuck the floss in her teeth. She frowned and continued on with her dental hygiene as the phone continued to ring incessantly. Just having that feeling, she glared as she walked out of her bathroom, unhurriedly, with the floss hanging out of her mouth and answered the phone.

"What?" She asked in a deadpan voice.

"No hello?"

"Hello."

"What were you doing?" The cheery voice on the other line asked.

"I _am_ flossing!" Kaoru made a very annoyed gesture with her arms but it didn't cross her mind that Misao, her best friend, couldn't see it.

"Since when have you been doing that?"

"Since yesterday, when my dentist told me to start."

"Listen, what are you doing later?"

"Flossing."

"You're funny."

"No, I'm not."

"I have a favor to ask-"

"Uh-oh, I don't like the sound of this. Favors usually mean that I have to do something you know I won't like."

"Okay, answer this question: How long has it been since you've been on a date?" Silence answered her on the line. "Hello?"

"I'm thinking! Mou!"

"See? This is why you have to do this favor!"

"Why do you always have to point out these things to me in order to convince me to do them?"

"What are friends for?" She could just imagine her friend grinning from ear to ear.

"Not _that_ purpose, I assure you." She said, exasperated. She was starting to drool with the floss in her mouth. I know what you're thinking. That's right, very sexy.

"This will be good for you."

"Okay, not that purpose either. I already have a mother, thank you."

"Noted, but you lack a boyfriend."

"Yes, but one is not born with one and does not require a boyfriend in order to survive."

"You're going to do this. I know it, you know it, so quit being stubborn and submit to my will." Kaoru moaned and yanked out the floss.

"How do you do this to me?!"

"Quite easily, actually."

"Okay, now you've hurt my feelings."

"Oh, cry me a 50,000,000 gallon/liter/whatever man-made lake."

"When and where?"

"Tonight, six o'clock. At the Akabeko. It's a new restaraunt around the block."

"Quite short notice."

"Your routine life needed an interruption. A quick interlude, if you will. Take it from Dr. Misao."

"This coming from a girl who can't keep her man."

"Don't be brash with me. This is about you."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Bye." She hung up and took a look at herself in the mirror. She was moderately attractive. Maybe. She smiled for herself in the mirror and then tweaked her nose.

"If only this were less pointy." Her eyes roved over her hair in its ponytail. She freed it from the scrunchie it was tied up in and brushed it out. Her finest feature also happened to be the least manageable one.

With a groan and a quick slump of the shoulders, she began to try to fix herself up. She didn't think it was worth it though.

Six o'clock rolled around faster than she would have liked and she found herself at the entrance doors of the Akabeko. It was nothing too glamorous; refined, although somewhat homey and most importantly, very clean. There were a lot of people in it already and she observed the waiters and waitresses walking to and fro in brisk steps, some carrying trays or menus and others, nothing at all.

"Kamiya," she said to the Hostess.

"This way." She fiddled with her purse strap and tucked some hair behind her ear, all the while biting on her lower lip. She was nervous, although not to the extremes. The extremes were messy, involving embarrassing bodily functions, embarrassing moments of clutziness, and she liked to think that she had gotten past that by now.

When they finally reached the table, an attractive man stood up and held out his hand to greet her.

"Hi, I'm Hayao, Ken."

"Kamiya, Kaoru," she returned with a smile. The waiter left menus, returned to take their orders and they engaged in small talk before their dinner arrived.

"I'm looking to settle down with someone," Hayao said, getting right to the point. "It's just hard to meet the right woman."

"Well, any woman can be the "right" woman, it just has to do with you and the first impression and how you act and react to her afterwards."

"You don't believe in soul mates?" He asked, getting all serious and waiting for her answer.

"Ahh, it's not that I don't believe in them, it's just that I think people are waiting for something that isn't real. They end up passing up people who could easily make them happy for a fairytale that doesn't exist. It could be that they are just scared of reality." At his reaction to her statement, she averted her eyes, took a bite of her steak and checked down at her napkin she had set in her lap.

When the check came and he paid, they walked to the door together.

"Shall I take you home?" He asked politely. She smiled and shook her head.

"Thank you but I'll be all right."

"Oh my God, Kaoru, you didn't even give him a chance! You spoiled it by telling him your oh so sensical non-romantic beliefs!" Misao explained, aghast at her friend's behavior. They slowed down from their jog to a walk.

"He asked me! It's not my fault he went venturing for my opinions. I'm not going to lie and tell him what he wants to hear to score another date! I'm not _thaat_ desperate." She thought for a minute and then huffed.

"I'm not desperate AT ALL!" Misao had a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Well, I kind of thought it wouldn't work out anyway…" Kaoru glared at her instantly and her admission.

"Hey! I already have another one lined up for you!" Kaoru stopped and stared at her "beloved" friend.

"I'm not in need of charity or pity! I'm perfectly capable of getting a date on my own. Stop barging in on the last vestige of my personal, secret life."

"You're insufferable. And I hardly call going home to an empty apartment after work, reading the journal while listening to the t.v. until it's time to go to bed, a personal, secret life." And Misao began to jog again. Kaoru raced after her to catch up, feeling a little guilty.

"Okay…" Her voice revealed her reluctant apology. Misao brightened instantly and began describing her next date.

Once again she found herself at the Akabeko. Once again, she was directed to her date. She was overwhelmed with surprise when she saw that it was Sanosuke, someone she hadn't seen since high school.

"Jou-chan!" He exclaimed as he stood up and gave her a hug.

"I didn't know you knew Misao!" She said, suddenly happy about this date.

"Well," he gave her a lopsided grin, "My girlfriend knows her."

"Girlfriend?" They sat down, Kaoru feeling suspicious about this "date." And he was turning red.

"Ex." He looked away for a bit.

"Oh." She looked own at the menu.

"Anyway! How come you're doing the blind date thing?" He asked, quick to change the topic of conversation back to her. She frowned.

"I'm not doing this willingly," she explained and opened up the menu to the dinner section. Sanosuke chuckled.

"What?"

"You're here, aren't cha? Misao didn't show up to your house and dress you and then drag you here. You're doing this willingly. And another thing," he gave her a pointed look when he knew she was about to interject, "that's not a healthy attitude radiating off of you. You'll be doing this a long time if you continue to see it that way." He opened his menu too. She took a moment and watched him, his words frothing over in her mind.

"Argh! When did you get to be so unnervingly wise, Sano?" He looked up and bestowed upon her his dashing grin, the one thing that hadn't changed since high school.

"I grew up."

"I'll drink to that!" She stated, enthusiastically.

"Waiter! Champagne!!" The night went by quickly, with hearty laughs and great food. And when it came to an end, Sano insisted on seeing her home. He cracked and let out everything that had been bothering him about his break up, on the way. Kaoru learned that Sano hadn't seen her in a few weeks and that this date was to see if he could ever be interested in another woman. He also confessed that he was relieved when she was the one he was to eat dinner with.

"Me and Megumi, we were great. I know I can patch things up with her, I just have to give it time," he said quietly. Kaoru smiled and playfully punched his arm.

"It'll work out." Sano perked up and consumed her in a fierce hug.

"It was great seeing you, Jou-chan."

"Ack!" She coughed into his neck. "Mou! Can't…. breathe." Sano snickered and winked before walking off, away from her apartment. She laughed to herself and shut the door behind her, locking it before going to her room to get ready for bed.

Kaoru was glad to be done with work when the end of her shift came around. Working at a theater was more emotionally draining than it was physical. Just as she left the building, Misao appeared, arriving right on time to pick her up and took hold of her arm.

"Soo… how was it?"

"Tiring. This one lady took forever in telling me what movie she wanted to see. Actually, she came without knowing. She read all of the descriptions twice and then asked me what they were about!!! And then, she had the audacity to be even slower in paying for her damn ticket! Meanwhile, my line is growing. Mou!" Enraged all over again, smoke began to filter out of her ears, a result of her flaming nostrils, as she relived the entire experience in her mind.

"I meant the date, Shiva."

"Oh, you set me up with Sano!" Misao became puzzled.

"From high school! The one who always liked to do back flips off the walls and set off that awful stink bomb through the air ducts." This registered in her friend's mind and it became evident on her face that she remembered.

"Ahh! Sano! You can't go out with him! He always protected you like mad when Enishi tried to ask you out repeatedly. He's like the closest you ever had to a brother!"

"Yeah. He said he had been seeing Megumi. Apparently they broke up. He's still sore about it."

"Oh yeah, that's right…" Misao felt sheepish. She started the car after they got in and she drove them towards her apartment.

"Well, anyway, Aoshi isn't home right now, he's away on a business trip. So I thought we could do like we used to and veg out while watching chick flicks all night long!" Kaoru smiled as she undressed down to her white cotton t-shirt in the car.

"Sounds good to me, John Cusack, here we come!"

"Not to mention, Marlon Brando, Patrick Swayze, and Keanu Reeves!"

"Oh, it's a Par-tay!"

"It was beginning to be oddly easy and comfortable, going to the Akabeko on a date. She'd been on a few now since Sano, mostly with different guys but a few had asked for her number and actually called her asking for another date.

She wouldn't admit it to Misao, but she was beginning to enjoy getting out.

This time, she got there before her date so she went to the bar and sat down. The bartender noticed and stood before her. Her eyes widened as she took in his shocking red hair and deep dark eyes.

"How can I help you, Miss?" She blushed as a few thoughts jumped to mind. She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat.

"Water, please."

"Water, it is," he smiled at her. She looked away, uncomfortable with his pleasant smile and his eyes and watched the door.

"Waiting for someone?" She nodded and looked at her glass of water when he set it on the counter. She took a sip and then watched him as he waited on more bar-goers who showed up, and simultaneously watched the door and the clock.

After waiting for an hour she decided he wasn't going to show. No one is purposefully an hour late. Well… usually no one is.

"Are you all right, Miss?" The bartender's eyes were concerned. Somewhere in between her internal debate he had reappeared in front of her, focused solely on her. Or, it just appeared that way. Sometimes she did make things out to be more than what they are. HA! She was doing it again.

She smiled finally, as much for him as for her own benefit. She wasn't disappointed, not really. It just made her feel weird for having waited so long alone. Her date could have had the decency to call and cancel.

"Yes, thank you."

"Would you like some more water? Or tea, perhaps? We also have lemonade, those already have water in them," he offered and raised his brows in a quizzical comical way, waiting for an answer. She looked down at his name tag.

"No thanks, Kenshin," she answered, with a laugh.

"Oro!?! How do you know my name?" She pointed to his name tag with an amused expression on her face.

"Aaaaa….. Yes, I forget that is there sometimes, that I do."

"Kenshin, stop flirting and get back to work!" Yelled a deeper, authoritative voice. Kenshin's eyes flitted nervously around and back to her.

"Yes sir." He called back. "Excuse me Miss, but I would ask one thing of you before I return to work…" His eyes locked on hers.

"Okay…?"

"What is your name?" Her smile grew impossibly big.

"Kaoru."

"Goodnight, Miss Kaoru."

"Goodnight."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I don't have much to say other than I am in a rut about finishing husband for hire. I have an idea of how I want it to end, but it won't come out right. Please forgive me.

I do hope you enjoy the next chapter in this story. I'm not sure when I'll be updating next, so please be patient if you're still reading my stories,

Thank you. (please review!)

At the Akabeko-- Chapter Two

Kaoru had just awakened from a good night's sleep and padded into her bathroom, readying her fingers with her floss just as the telephone began to ring. She frowned and wondered if this was a sign that she was not suppose to floss. If, perhaps, the Gods disagreed with her dentist. Then she grinned. Her dentist probably wouldn't go for that. More frowning ensued as she realized she shouldn't care what her dentist thought, they were her teeth and she was an adult! Mou! Then Kaoru realized that she had completely forgotten about the telephone. She shrugged and began to floss.

Once finished, Kaoru left the bathroom and went up to her answering machine. She pressed the blinking button and immediately Misao's recorded voice began to fill the room.

Beep. "You know, this habit of flossing while I'm calling is getting out of hand. And I know that's what you're doing because you're not answering the phone as often as you use to. And I know you're home! As your friend, I think I must tell you that you have your priorities messed up and they need rearranging. But first---Call me back right now!!!!!" Beep.

Kaoru stared at her answering machine, mentally asking it why it couldn't filter her messages so that she only got ones similar to, "You've won a million dollars!" Or, "You've won a gazillion dollars!" Or… Nope, that's pretty much it.

She dialed Misao's phone and it didn't even ring a whole second before it was answered.

"What's the big idea?!" Came the yell. Kaoru didn't think she had taken thaaaat long to return her best friend's phone call.

"Mou! You're cranky today."

"No, just impatient. So, I set you up with one of Aoshi's coworkers. You're going to meet him at the Akabeko at seven. Okay?"

"Sheesh, you didn't even say please, let alone ask. What am I, your slave now?" Kaoru playfully bantered.

"This guy is very punctual," Misao went on, ignoring her comment, "so make sure you're a little earlier than normal. Please do this Kaoru," her friend pleaded, something unusual in the tone of her voice. Kaoru became more serious as she agreed and said goodbye.

She stared some more at the answering machine and wondered what it would say if it could talk. It wouldn't be able to go anywhere, that would be pretty boring. So the only entertainment or experiences of real life would be through passing on messages. And let's face it, that isn't exactly fun either. Because one never knows entirely what someone else is thinking by their voice alone.

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This time, Kaoru walked to the Akabeko. It wasn't very far, really, and she wanted to think. The thoughts in her head were traveling in weird paths and the walk might help her figure them out.

It mainly had to do with Misao spending most of her time focused on Kaoru; or so it seemed, with all of the dates she'd been setting up initially. But Kaoru had a nagging suspicion there was something else going on. Perhaps she was keeping distracted, or keeping Kaoru distracted? Or maybe Kaoru was just thinking too much again. She shook her head at herself. Misao was her best friend. She would talk if she had a problem…

Wouldn't she?

Kaoru reached the entrance to the Akabeko and walked through the doorway. It really was a pleasant place to mingle and socialize and eat. And the people who worked there seemed genuinely nice, which was hard these days with the hustle and bustle of most lacking manners and even respect.

She reached the hostess and said her name, and was directed to the table where Aoshi's coworker was sitting. He stood up and nodded in acknowledgement, and helped her into her chair.

"Hi, I'm Kaoru. Misao told me about you, but she didn't tell me your name."

"Shinji."

"Ahh, okay. Nice to meet you," Kaoru said with a smile. He nodded and then looked down at the menu. She watched him for a bit and then looked down at hers.

The evening passed slowly in silence. Kaoru had tried to engage him in conversation of all sorts. It had been futile to think that a coworker and possibly a friend of Aoshi's would be less silent than he. She rested her chin in the palm of one hand, not meaning to exhibit a bit of 'bored' gesture but unable to think of anything else to talk about or anything else to do or eat. She looked about the restaurant for the first time, observing other people conversing and eating and lost in their own private worlds within the area of the table they were seated at. And then her eyes roved over towards the bar, where a familiar face was. She smiled as she watched him tend bar to some older women. The women were unaccompanied by men and free to bat eyes and flirt with the younger man. He genially accepted everything with a smile.

Kaoru's eyes then came back to Shinji, sitting straight and stiff. Obtrusive.

"Would you like to get a drink?" She asked. She stood up without waiting for his answer and headed towards the bar. Once she sat down, she found he had followed her. Kenshin soon came over.

"Hello again, Miss Kaoru," he greeted. He looked at her date and nodded with a friendly smile to him too. Kaoru ordered them both drinks and munched on some of the peanuts at the bar.

"Do you like bartending Kenshin?" Kaoru found herself asking. Her body seemed to be acting without her brain as of a few minutes ago. He set their drinks before them and paused for a bit.

"I suppose. It doesn't really have to do with pouring or mixing drinks, though. It's more about the people."

"Oh?" He grinned then and spun a bottle on the counter before stopping it, the bottle neck pointing at her.

"You can learn a lot about people by what they drink, that you can." He nodded to her drink and then moved away to wait on newcomers to the bar. She stared down at the drink before her. What did hers say about her?

"Well, Miss Kamiya. It was a pleasure, but I must be going now. Goodnight," Shinji said, checking his watch before nodding to her in a farewell and leaving. That had been the most he had said to her in one setting the entire night.

She watched him go, feeling like this date was a test of sorts, but she wasn't quite sure of what. She looked back down at her glass, half full, and then over to Kenshin, who was in the middle of mixing something. He glanced over to her before finishing. She quickly looked away and then finished her drink. Kenshin was back before the glass made it to the counter.

"Would Miss Kaoru like another?" She looked up into his eyes and then shook her head. "Where did your companion go?" He asked, wiping up a small puddle of condensation on the counter from the cold glasses.

"He left. It was the end of our date. Actually, I think it ended before we first sat down at the table," she admitted with a laugh and a gesture towards the dining tables. Then she froze. Did she really just say that? She blushed and stared at her glass. Wishing it would suddenly enlarge to a size big enough to hide her.

"You must have some strange opinion of me now… Meeting different guys… periodically…" she ventured. He remained quiet until she chanced a glance at his face.

"Miss Kaoru, why would my opinion matter to you?" He rested both of his hands on the counter in between them and leaned forward into her space, all serious. Her eyes widened and she might have forgotten to breathe. For a minute there it felt like time had stood still. Just for her. And him. And she couldn't recall a time she had ever wanted to be kissed so badly in her life. But in the instant she looked down that slight angle at his lips, he moved back and everything was back to normal.

She blinked a couple times, took slow breaths to calm down, and distracted herself by getting out cash for the drinks. She laid it on the counter and hopped down from the stool, gathering her purse and coat.

"This is too much, Miss Kaoru." He stated, slightly taken aback by the tip.

"No it's not," she said, smiling before walking off.

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"So how did the date turn out?" Misao asked as they jogged. They were out at an earlier time than usual for them, it was a little cooler, as the sun was rising from the horizon line. Sleep still marred their faces and they were a little sluggish.

"Ahh… he wasn't very talkative. At all. I tried to ask him questions and he would only answer in one word syllables." Kaoru looked over at her friend, who was frowning. "I just don't think he was at all interested in being there."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped. Aoshi and his friends are all very similar..."

"We went over to the bar." Kaoru blurted out. Misao looked at her, interested in this little admission. "You know the bartender I told you about? He was working." Kaoru looked down at the pavement to hide a small smile, feeling a little relief at sharing this new small source of joy. Misao stopped.

"You like him… Don't you." It wasn't really a question, and the fact that it wasn't made Kaoru start.

"I've only talked to him twice! How could I like him? I mean he's nice-"

"And insanely attractive." Misao interrupted, before Kaoru could try to deny it by turning the conversation around.

"But-"

"Kaoru, this is all that I wanted. For you to find someone you could actually be interested in. That's the whole point of dating. Figuring out what you like. Now that you know, you have to pursue it. Do you know if he has a girlfriend?" Misao asked, and began to jog again.

"No. Like I said, I've only spoken to him twice…"

"Well, you need to find out." And then they both sped up into a moderate run. When their routine job was finished, they exchanged brief schedules of the week and then went separate ways.

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There were butterflies in her stomach. It was ironic because before when she walked in the doors, she hadn't really ever been seriously nervous. But that fact was changed by another: she was attracted to and liked someone. And now the embarrassing bodily functions were bound to start. Well, they had already. Stupid stomach.

This time was different though, she wasn't meeting anyone. Well, not officially. She walked past the hostess to the bar and sat down. Kenshin wasn't behind the bar and she felt a little disappointed. A bartender she had seen briefly on occasion came over to her and she asked for a water which rewarded her a speculative look. She shrugged and turned around to watch other people.

She didn't have the talent of reading other people, unless it was inanely obvious. How other people could read so much into so little and be right about it, well it fascinated her. Not that she'd been presented any evidence of it yet, but just the thought…

"Miss Kaoru?" She jumped and spilled the water on herself, turning red at having been startled.

"Mou! You scared me!"

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to, that I didn't…" Kaoru wiped the spill down as best she could and looked at Kenshin.

"It's okay, sorry," she said, with a smile. He smiled back. Then he looked around to see if she was with someone.

"On another date?" This caused her to pause and consider him. Then she looked down, still having no talent in reading people.

"No. Actually, I just. I was," she quickly glanced up at him and then back down. "I was taking a break." Mentally, she berated herself for such a lame excuse.

"Ahh," he said, with a knowing grin. He reached over and took her glass, filling it with more water.

"So, how often do you work? I mean, you're always here… Not that it's a bad thing, I mean!" She blushed. He laughed.

"I am a full time employee of Akabeko; my uncle owns it. You could say it's a family owned and operated business." Kaoru smiled at that thought.

"That must be nice."

"Sometimes. A family knows their own better than anybody though. So my uncle schedules me a lot because he thinks I don't have a life, that he does." Kenshin shrugged.

"And do you?" She leaned forward, resting her head in her hand, completely focused on the man before her.

"Do I what, Miss Kaoru?"

"Have a life?"

"I do." He smiled at her and she felt all of her insides turn to goo.

"Mou." It came out as a faint whisper in irritation, but Kenshin heard it and his eyes rounded.

"Oro?" Kaoru quickly realized she had said that out loud and got flustered. She'd never been this bad before.

"SO, I think my break is over now, BYE." She said as she quickly gathered her purse and coat and headed to the door. As she reached it, she realized she never discovered whether the attractive red head was single or in a relationship. Blast!

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It had been a rather uneventful night at the theater. Which was a blessing, really. Dealing with troublemakers was eventful but never pleasant. While it added to the mess of stories her coworkers collected and shared and possibly embellished, it was never fun while it happened. Incidents served to further break the rose colored glasses Kaoru had in place since childhood.

Kaoru checked the clock again, for the millionth time, and then rested her head in the palm of her right hand. She listlessly stared out the window of the booth she was in, waiting for the next customer to step up. She didn't have to wait much longer.

"Two for Pride and Prejudice." That voice was awfully familiar, and quiet. Recognition registered in her mind as she saw who stood before her window, with a member of the opposite sex tucked neatly into his side.

Kenshin. Looking surprised. And a woman. A woman who was very pretty.

She blinked and let routine run her body. She entered the tickets into the computer, they printed, she tore them and handed them to him along with his change.

"Enjoy your show," she said, closing the transaction.

"Kenshin, let's get some popcorn," she heard the woman say as she led Kenshin away. Kaoru took a deep breath and wondered why she was so disappointed. It wasn't like she had asked Kenshin to date her or anything. And… there were plenty of men out there still. Not that she really cared or wanted to date…

Mou… What a lie. She _did _want to date.

"Thanks a lot Misao…"


End file.
